1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector having an operable member or lever and to a method of assembling such a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-267610 discloses a connector with first and second housings that are connectable with one another. Terminal fittings are accommodated in the housings and are connected with each other as the housings are connected. This connection of the terminal fittings creates a sliding resistance. The force required to complete the connection can be large, particularly for connectors with many terminal fittings. A lever often is used to assist connection when the connecting force is large. The lever is mounted on the first housing and is formed with a cam groove. A cam pin is provided on the second housing. The two housings are connected partly so that the cam pin fits into the cam groove to a specified initial position. The housings are constructed so that the terminal fittings have not yet begun to interfere with one another when the cam pin is at the specified initial position in the cam groove. The lever then is operated and displays a cam action as the cam pin moves in the cam groove. As a result, the housings are connected properly. An electrical connection test is conducted at a final stage of connection to detect whether the terminal fittings are accommodated properly in the housings and whether the lever has been operated.
A maximal operation force permitted during a connecting operation generally is specified as a standard value for connectors. However, the mountable parts of the above-described lever-type connector contact after the housings are mated further. Thus, the sliding resistance between the mountable parts is started after the operation of the lever. A peak operation force of the lever increases as indicated by a curve Y in FIG. 8, making a standard value (point S′ in FIG. 8) larger.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to reduce an operation force.